Pastor Jeff Morlock Called to NALS

The Rev. Jeff Morlock of Galloway, Ohio, has been called as director of vocational discernment/recruitment manager for the North American Lutheran Seminary. His role will include developing a strategy to identify, encourage, and recruit discerning candidates for the NALS. Pastor Morlock graduated from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Social Work and received his MDiv. from Trinity Lutheran Seminary there. He has served three congregations in and around the Columbus area since 1997, most recently on the staff of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church for nine years, and prior to that, as a church planter. Pastor Jeff has been married to Pastor Patti Morlock for 30 years. They have two grown daughters, Bekah and Hannah. Bekah and her fiance, Miles, are both admissions counselors for small, private, Catholic universities, and a great resource for Jeff as he begins this work.

“I appreciate the NALS seminary network, which reflects the core values of the NALC in its spiritual formation of students,” Pastor Morlock reflects. “While I wish my own formation had included such consistent orthodoxy, I am grateful for the opportunity to invite those discerning a call to ministry to explore and consider it. My love for Jesus, my experiences, and passion for raising up the next generation of pastors have prepared me well for this role and my home congregation has provided numerous ministers of Word and Sacrament for the church by identifying the gifts of young people in their early teens, including me. For 13 years my wife and I supervised students from Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Grace Lutheran in Thornville, Ohio. Also, having served as dean of the Southeast Ohio Mission District, I’m keenly aware of the need for clergy, as 7 of our 13 congregations are currently seeking pastoral leadership. Given this high vacancy rate, I initiated a successful campaign in the Fall of 2021 to raise the necessary funding to host a NALS internship in our mission district.”

“I believe that we care about what we pray about, so I invite all our NALC congregations to regularly include our seminary network in the prayers of the people. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. And please contact me with the names of young people or career folks who may currently be discerning a call to ordained ministry.” 

You may reach him at jeff.morlock@tsm.edu. 

Have Questions? Want to Meet to Discern Next Steps? Connect With The Rev. Jeff Morlock 

OCTOBER 29, 2022 Mid-Northeast Mission District Convocation, Zion Lutheran Church, Brentwood, PA

NOVEMBER 1-3, 2022 Deans Meeting, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX